Hurricane Too Weak To Put Sports In Perspective

Despite reaching Category 1 strength, Hurricane Isaac weakened this week as it made landfall along the Gulf Coast and was reduced to a tropical storm.

"In meteorology, a Category 1 storm is one that we characterize as being too weak to put sports into perspective," said Greg DiSiorno of the National Weather Service. "Whereas a Category 3 storm — which is what Katrina was — packs enough force to put sports into perspective for a week all the way up to a month."

DiSiorno says he doesn't think a Category 4 hurricane will ever make landfall.

"A Category 4 is so strong it actually causes sports to be put in their proper perspective permanently and, really, create a better society. It results in a sincere change in people's outlook on life. And not just for a few weeks or until the playoffs start or until the next fantasy draft, like with a small hurricane or a terrorist attack or an athlete death. It would be truly sincere with a Category 4," he said. "But a storm of that magnitude is more of a theoretical storm really. The Bigfoot of meteorology. It will never happen."

Isaac hit Alabama with 45 mph winds, causing no more than some minor flooding in coastal areas. Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik, whose team had a disappointing follow up season to a national title last year, admits he could have used a much more destructive hurricane.

"I'm just saying — if the state of Alabama gets seriously ravaged by a hurricane, our team would probably really pull together," said Chizik. "That's how these things work. At the very least, I wanted this hurricane to cause enough heartache that I could use it as motivation for our players to play for the community. After a few years on the job, your typical speeches start getting old. But now I've got squat. And we have a ranked Clemson team coming up. I can't catch a break."